Numerous attempts have been made to prepare nutritive compositions containing linolenic acid (C 18:2) (hereinafter also referred to as Omega-3). Omega-3 is an essential fatty acid found in fish oil and linseed (flax seed) oil and has been implicated as possibly being important in preventing various human health disorders including heart trouble. Typically, the resultant compositions containing Omgea-3 also contain either fish oil or linseed oil and lack human consumption appeal.
Heart trouble is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. Various researachers have established that Omega-3, an essential oil found in fish and flax seed and a few other sources, is an effective preventive agent for athlersclerosis and thrombosis, two major types of heart trouble. Bang HO, Dyerberg J: Lipid metabolism and ischemic heart disease in Greenland Eskimos, Adv. Nutr. Res. 1980;3:1-22; Walsh GP: a GP's use of omega-3 lipids in coronary heart disease, Br. J. Clin. Pract. 1984; 31(symp. suppl.):75-76; Harris WS: Health effects of omega-3 fatty acids, Contemp. Nutr. 1985;10(August):1-2; Harris WS, Connor WE, Inkeles SB, et al; Dietary omega-3 fatty acids prevent carbohydrate-induced hypertriglyceridemia, Metabolism 1984,33:1016-1019.
Omega-3 is believed, but not definitely established, to prevent heart trouble by acting as an agent to transport cholesterol out of the body, by inhibiting the production of the highly undesirable low density lipoproteins, and by producing postacyclin PGI-3 which prevents unwarranted clotting of the blood platelets. Goodnight SH Jr. Harris WS, Connor WE: The effects of dietary 13 fatty acids on platelet composition and function in man: A prospective, controlled study, Blood 1981;58:880-885; Siess W. Roth P, Scherer B. et al: Platelet-membrane fatty acids, platelet aggregation, and thromboxane formation during a mackerel diet, Lancet 1980;1:441-444; Illingworth Dr, Harris WS, Connor WE: Inhibition of low density lipoprotein synthesis by dietary omega-3 fatty acids in humans, Arteriosclerosis 1984;4:270-275; Sanders TAB, Roshanai F: The influence of differenct types of 13 polyunsaturated fatty acids on blood lipids and platelet function in healthy volunteers, Clin. Sci. 1983;64(January):91-99; Cartwright I. J., Pockley A.G., Galloway J. H. et al: The Effects of dietary N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on erthrocyte membrane phospholipids, erthrocyte deformability and blood viscosity in healthy volunteers, Atherosclerosis 1985;55:267-281; Needleman P., Raz A., Minkes MS., et al; Triene prostaglandins: Prostacyclin and thromboxane biosynthesis and unique biological properties, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 1979;76;944-948.
For these and other reasons, finding, utilizing, and putting as many sources of Omega-3 as possible into the American food chain is highly desirable to prevent the pain, suffering, and medical costs associated with heart trouble in the United States.
One major source of Omega-3 currently in use is fish oil. The concentration of Omega-3 in fish is rather low, but when the fish oil is extracted from the fish it contains most of the Omega-3. However, the flavor is rather undesirable for use in foods or drinks. Fish oils are also very high in calories and cholesterol content and are difficult for the human body to disgest.
The other major source of Omega-3 is linseed oil. For many years it has been known that Omega-3 is available in linseed oil, which is made from flax seed. However, the flavor due to its oxidation makes the linseed oil highly undesirable for human consumption.
Flax seed is an ideal source of Omega-3 for humans. It is very abundant and the seeds have a rather sweet, nutty taste. The present drawback to using flax seed to obtain Omega-3 for consumption is the rate at which the Omega-3 turns rancid. When linolenic acid is normally extracted from flax seed to make linseed oil paint, it turns rancid very rapidly. Rancid linseed oil is highly toxic to humans.
Currently, linseed oil for human consumption is derived either by high temperature and high pressure or by high temperature grinding and solvent extraction of flax seed.
Either method produces a product which has a highly undesirable flavor and also contains rancid products that may be toxic to humans. Flax seed compositions also tend to produce cyanide during preparation as well as storage and consumption. Bruemmer found that crushed linseed produced 18 mg of HCN per hour at room temperature (J. M. Bruemmer, Brot Gebaeck, 29 (9), 170-174 (1969) (Ger).
As an example of preparing flax seed for human consumption, U.S. Pat. No. 4,180,595 discloses the use of dry linseed along with other ingredients in formulations of a milk-containing drink. In this patent, water, gum arabic, dry linseed, in an amount of 0.5 to about 0.8 part by weight, per 100 parts by weight of water, and seamoss are first combined and heated to boiling, followed by filtering and blending with milk and sweetening agents.
Further, U.S. Pat. No. 4,073,947 discloses the use of whole linseed to provide a protein hydrolyzate for use in beer-type beverages. The hydrolysis involves treating the whole linseed in water at 50.degree.-52.degree. C., with enzyme or acid to solubilize the protein. The hydrolyzate is then added to converted and buffered starch and boiled for 20 to 40 minutes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,543,264 contemplates the use of a high protein concentrate of a particulate oil seed, which can be lineseed, to make a high protein supplement for food products. The high protein concentrate is produced by a process involving the steps of mixing the particulate oilseed material with water and a lower alcohol, heating with steam at a temperature of at least more than 190.degree. F. and then drying.
Thus the processes for preparing the products of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,180,595, 4,073,947 and 4,543,264 all involve treating the linseed at some point at temperatures in excess of 160.degree. F. Thus the processes involve large inputs of energy.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,163,545 and 4,031,261 disclose the use of linseed oil in preparing foodstuffs and making milkshake-type products, respectively. Neither of these two patents discloses the use or incorporation of whole ground flax seed in preparing or making the food.
The present invention is also directed to a method of treatment for lowering serum triglycerides and/or choleserol.
Currently, many such treatments involve the administration of drugs.
However, considerable controversy exists concerning the use of drugs to lower serum triglycerides and/or cholesterol. This is because the side effects of the drugs are not inconsequential and are, apparently, sometimes worse than having high serum lipids. Further, some of the drugs used to treat the side effects of the lipid drugs are not so innocuous either. Therefore, if some other treatment program could be found to lower serum lipids without causing adverse side effects, it would be of double benefit--no side effects from the drug used to treat serum lipids and no side effects from the drug used to treat the side effects from the primary drug.
As an alternative to treatment with drugs there is treatment with fish oils. However, fish oils are poorly absorbed and are in limited supply, and the flavor of fish oil in drinks is not liked by many people.
Thus an alternatie treatment to the use of drugs or fish oils would be desirable.
The present invention is also directed to a new method for treating the symptoms of psoriasis.